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Rabada: Proteas to win Champions Trophy? Why not!

Cape Town - Star Proteas bowler Kagiso Rabada believes that the Proteas can definitely win the Champions Trophy after winning the dead-rubber ODI against England on Monday.

READ: Rabada jumps to No 1 in ODI rankings

Rabada spearheaded the Proteas dominance in the third ODI against England at Lord's, despite losing the series 2-1.

The fast bowler took 4/39 in his nine overs as the Proteas bundled the home side for 153 in 31.1 overs.

"It doesn't always happen that you get nicks like that... I wasn't expecting it at all," Rabada told reporters after the Proteas won by seven wickets.

"It felt like a Test match (wicket), it was green and as the ball got older there was some good bounce and there was some nice carry. There was also a bit of swing, especially in the crucial stages up front. It was important (for us) to bowl well and hit some good areas."

Rabada's bowling partner Wayne Parnell took 3/43 in his eight, while spinner Keshav Maharaj playing in only his second one-day game took 3/25 off 6.1 overs.

England skipper Eoin Morgan was frustrated with the Lord's wicket saying that he felt that the pitch was more to blame than the batsmen, and Rabada agreed.

"I'm not the England coach, but if the conditions are like that it's going to be hard for any team," said Rabada.

"England are a good team, but even our batsmen were being cautious. It was just tough conditions to bat."

Asked whether the Proteas have a chance to win their second ICC Champions Trophy title, Rabada was confident that the No 1-ranked one-day squad could lift up the elusive ICC trophy.

"Oh yes, why not? We've got really good players, amazing talents and experience as well," he said.

"To win this game will give us confidence and I feel the team goes into the Champions Trophy feeling strong. We have great names and if we play well we can win this."

Rabada said that he has been using his valuable time with Kent as preparation for the relatively unknown English conditions.

"I haven't played at The Oval, Cardiff or Edgbaston, but I played at Kent for four weeks and I got a little bit of taste," he said.

"But I can say that this is my first true experience. I think there's some good one-day wickets here, batsmen can score runs and the ball swings too."

The Proteas take on Sri Lanka in their opening ICC Champions Trophy clash at The Oval on Saturday (11:30 SA time).

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